Clock winding-indicator



Nd. y523,I58. Patented Afur.- I8, |899. A. G. JACOBS.

CLOCKWINDING INDICATOR.

(Application med June 2o, lass.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES i PATENT EEICE.

AUGUSTUS G. JACOBS, OF JONESTOVN, MISSISSIPPI.

CLOCK w|ND|NG'-|ND|oAToR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,158, dated April18, 1899.

Application filed June 20, 1898. Serial No. 683,933. (No model-l ,To @ZZwhom, t m/cty concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS G. J Acces,- residing at Jonestown, in thecounty of Goa homa and State of Mississippi, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in XVinding-Indicators for Clocks, of which thefollowing is a speciiication, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

This in vention relates to winding-indicators for clocks.

The object of the invention is to produce an indicator which can bereadily attached to clocks of ordinary construction and which will showa signaling device when the clock is nearly run down and may also have amui'ller for the striking apparatus ofthe clock. The visibleindicator orsignal is preferably a folding fan which may fold into small compass andcan bespread with very small eX- pensc of power. A

The 'improvement consists in certain constructions and combinationssubstantially as hereinafter described.

Figure 1 is a ront elevation of aclock-iiront partly broken away to showthe general arrangement of the indicator iu the position in 'which theindicator is inoperative. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing visibleindicator and mufiler operating on the bell, as when the clock hasnearly run down. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the fan and itsoperating wheel or pulley and connections. Fig. 4 is a front elevationof the signal-operating mechanism and part of the frame and otherportions of a clocleniovenient. Fig. 5 is an edge `view of thesignal-motor attachment as applied to a clock-framel The attachmentswhich I make for connection to a common clock are the motor part, shownin Figs. Ltand 5, and the fan, connected to a wheel and axle, Fig. 3,the parts being connected by an operating-cord, as indicated in theother figures.

Most clock-cases, as 1, have a molding, as 2, at the top of the casing,behind which there is a recess not visible directly from the front ofthe clock. This permits the attachment of my fan-shaped indicator 3,which when folded down will generally be invisible from the front of theclock, or if visible will appear merelyas a fan lying on the top of. theclock-case.

The narrower end of the folding fan 3 is at tached to a tape 4t, whichpartially surrounds and is attached to an axle 5,.and one of thefan-sticks 6 is attached to a base-piece 7, as by a cord 8. The axle 5is supported on suitable standards or brackets 9 from the base, andtheaxle has a wheel or pulley 1l rigidly connected thereto.

The partial rotation of shaft 5 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3,will spread out the fan, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the release of saidpulley will permit the fan to fall back into the position of Fig. 3 or alower position on base 7, either by the weight of the fan or by itstendency to close itself when made of such material that the fan tendsto close, or by reason of a weight, as 13, attached to wheel l1, or anyusual means for closing a fan. The cord 8 prevents fan-stick 6 fromrising much beyond a position about parallel with the base 7 and alittle above the same.

The base 7 can be attached to the top of the clock, as by screws, and asmall hole through the top of the clock-case permits the passage of cord14 to the interior of the clock behind the dial. Oord 14- is attached tothe wheel or pulley 11, and a hole in the clockcase large enough to passcord 14 is all the cutting found necessary with mostclocks in making myattachment. The fan can be opened or spread and closed 0r folded veryeasily, and when spread preh sents a large surface, which may have wordsor ornamental designs thereon. I am aware that signals have been used toshow that clocks have nearly run down; but none of those with which I am4familar can be made to show so large a surface with so littleexpenditure of power 'as my fan-signal.

The gearing or mechanism for operating the fan-signal I attach to theclock-movement frame. A convenient form of attachment is shown, whereinpiece 2O is a metallic strip about as wide as one of the bars of acommon clock-frame, and said strip or piece 2O has an integral hook 21near its end and at the side, so that said hook will extend behind thebar 16 of the frame. The piece 2O has-a bracket 22 isneedful to attachthe gearing to a common roo mechanism detachable.

clock-frame is to hook the hook 2l about the clock-frame and apply theone-tooth gear to the winding post. Of course attachment could be madeto other forms of clock by slight changes. The whole mechanism might beapplied to other forms of clock by slight mechanical changes ordirectlyand permanently to the clock-frame, but I prefer to'have the Tobase-piece 2O I attach the gear-wheel 30, said gear having teeth withwhich the onetooth gear 23 engages, either in winding the clock or asthe winding-post moves. The gear 30 maybe provided with a stop-tooth tostop the clock when it shall have run down. The teeth on gear 30 are ofsuch number as will about make a rotation of gear 30 while the clock isrunning down.

On the disk-face of wheel SO I attach a disk 3l, provided with abroken-face ring`32 or a projection from the body of the disk in form ofa broken ring. The disk 3l has a curved slot 33 therein, and a set-screw3i in this slot serves to adjust the disk 3l relatively to wheel 30, sothat the break in ring 32 may be adjusted circumferentially on gear 30to permit the device to be made operative at a little less than arotation of gear 30, say about twentytwo, twentythree, or twenty-fourhours in a one-day clock or at seven or seven and one-half days in aneight-day clock.

A bentlever is supported on a pivot, as 3G, which pivot is supported ona suitable bracket, as 37, connected to piece 20. An arm 38 of thislever rests against the broken ring 32 as gear 30 rotates, taking disk3l with it; but when the break in the ring moves opposite the end ofthis arm 3S the arm 3S swings through the break in the ring under theiinpulse of weight 39, attached to long arm of lever 35. This depressionof the weight 39 draws on cord Il and spreads the fan at the top of theclock. At the same time an arm i0 of lever 35 is swung against the bellor sounderaf) of the clock and the bellis muffled. The spread fan andmuffled bell are indicated in Fig. 2. The upper end of arm 38 has ahooked end with its outer under surface inclined, as indicated in Fig.5. The arm 3S is slightly elastic.

Vhen the indicator 3 is spread, the clock may run until it runs down,but the spread fan will show that winding should be attended to, and themuliied bellwill indicate the same fact.

The direction of movement of gear 30 in running down is shown by thearrow, Fig. l. In winding the clock the gear 30 rotates in the directionindicated in Fig. 2. The screw Stby such rotation engages the right-handside of lever-arm 3S and swings said lever to the position of Figs. land at. The hooked end of lever 3S will ride over ring 3251i moving out,but will engage the outerside of said ring and will be prevented fromswinging in toward the center of the ring except through the break inthe ring.

The weighted arm of lever 35 may be in itself enough to spread the fanwithout an additional weight. rIhe winding of the clock permits thefolding of the fan and removes the mufiie from the bell.

It must be understood that in many details of my mechanism modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Ibelieve the invention to be as broad as the claims herein.

What I claim isl. A fan indicator for clocks, consisting sentially of afolding fan, a shaft to which the fan is connected, so that the fan isspread by the partial rotation of the shaft in one direction, andallowed to close by the partial rotation in reverse direction, asupporting-base by which the fan and shaft may be attached to aclock-case, and means for connecting the shaft to the clockmovcment tobe actuated thereby. l

2. In combination with a clock-case, a fansupport connected to saidcase, a folding fan on said support, a shaft connected to the fan tospread the same and a pulley on said shaft, a cord connecting saidpulley to the clockmovement, and means for closing the fan, all combinedsubstantially as described.

3. In a clock winding-indicator, the basepiece 20 having means forattachment to the clock-movement frame, a single-tooth wheel supportedon said base-piece and engaging the winding-post of the clock, a gearactuated by said single-tooth wheel and carrying a broken ring-bearing,and a lever having' an arm in position to swing through the break in thesaid ring, said lever connected to and operating a visual signal, allcombined substantially as described.

Lt. In a clock winding-indicator, the base piece having means forattachment to the movement-frame,a gear-wheel carried by said base-pieceand driven from the clock-movement, the broken ring carried by saidgear, a lever suitably supported and having an arm in position to bearagainst said ring and to swing through the break thereof, and a mullleconnected to said arm and in position to IOO IIO

muilie the striking apparatus of the clock when the lever moves throughthe break in the ring, all combined substantially as described.

5. In a clock winding-alarm, the combination with the clock-movement, ofa visual signal actuated to indicate the need for winding the clock, anda inutile connected to the visual-signal-actuating mechanism andactingon the striking mechanism of the clock simultaneously with thedisplay of the visual signal and for the same purpose, substantially asdescribed.

G. In a clock winding-alarm, the combination with the clock-movement, ofa gear-wheel driven from said movement, a broken ring or bearing adjustably connected to said gear, a lever having an arm bearing on saidring in position to swing through the break thereof,

normal position by the Winding of the clock, io

all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiTiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS G. JACOBS,

Witnesses:

H. C. MoALrsrnR, H. B. WISE

